Sultan dragonfly oviposting

“In Singapore, the Sultan dragonfly (Camacinia gigantea) is by far the largest of the libellulids (family Libellulidae), but is not regularly nor reliably seen. Whenever an opportunity arises, it would often be the attractive males that are more noticeable (above).

“The females, though less brightly coloured, are just as impressive with their formidable wingspan (above).

“With the females typically outnumbered by the males, competition for them is stiff. After the victorious male has mated with a receptive female, she proceeds to a quiet corner to lay her eggs. She deliberately adopts a vertical posture and repeatedly dips her abdomen upon the water surface at a slow and steady pace (above).

“A brief video clip of this female ovipositing (on 12th November 2014 at a local pond) may be previewed here: